South Dakota Game,
Fish and Parks News
- Second Chance Youth Deer
Season To Open
- Private Lands Prairie Dog
Control Update
- Fort Sisseton Celebrates
Frontier Christmas with Sleigh Rides, Crafts and Music
- East River Deer Season
Continues
- Next Deer Hunting
Opportunity is for Muzzleloaders
- 2006 General Licenses
Available Dec. 15, Make Great Xmas Gift
- Turn In Poachers Hotline
Congested
Second Chance Youth Deer
Season To Open
PIERRE, S.D. – Youth deer
hunters will have another chance to fill their 2005 South Dakota
youth deer tags from Dec. 10 - 31. Youth deer licenses are also
available.
South Dakota's youth antlerless
deer licenses are unlimited in number, so a youth hunter may
apply for and receive a maximum of two of these licenses anytime
until the season ends on Dec. 31. An applicant must still
complete and submit either a paper or electronic application to
receive a license. Both application types are available via the
Game, Fish and Parks website at
www.sdgfp.info. Each license cost $5 for residents and $10
for nonresidents.
“Youth hunters who are or will
be at least 12 years old on Dec. 31 and who were younger than 16
years of age on July 1, 2005, can purchase a license and hunt
this entire youth deer season,” said Game, Fish and Parks
Regional Wildlife Manager Will Morlock of Watertown. Each youth
hunter is allowed up to two youth deer licenses.
An adult must accompany each
youth hunter, and each youth and adult must wear at least on
exterior garment of florescent orange.
Shooting hours are one-half
hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset.
Private Lands Prairie Dog
Control Update
PIERRE, S.D. – Game, Fish and
Parks has been helping landowners with prairie dog problems, and
so far this fall, the department has treated more than 13,000
acres of private lands for the invading animals.
This program is for landowners
who are experiencing prairie dogs invading their property from
adjacent public lands. Landowners with a complaint regarding
prairie dogs invading from public grounds needed to have
contacted Game, Fish and Parks before Oct. 1. Landowners who
missed the Oct. 1 deadline have been put on the list for 2006.
“After making landowner
contacts and verifying that prairie dogs were encroaching from
public grounds, department officials began poisoning and
documenting GPS coordinates of the targeted prairie dog towns,”
said Layne Sievers, GFP Conservation Technician. “To date, about
13,987 acres have been treated with 15,848 treatable acres being
documented with GPS coordinates. This includes everyone on the
2005 list.”
Sievers noted that the state is
also treating GFP lands.
Total funding available for
this program is $280,000 ($150,000 by the state Dept. of
Agriculture and $130,000 by GFP) with $98,332 used to date.
The South Dakota Prairie Dog
Management Plan may be seen by visiting online at
www.sdgfp.info/Wildlife/hunting/PrairieDog.htm or by calling
the GFP Wildlife Damage Program at 773-5913.
Fort Sisseton
Celebrates Frontier Christmas with Sleigh Rides, Crafts and
Music
LAKE CITY, S.D. -
Get in the holiday spirit at Fort Sisseton Historic State Park's
14th Annual Frontier Christmas on Saturday Dec. 10. Activities
run from noon to 4 p.m. and promise hours of fun for all ages as
people relive Christmas traditions.
"This is your chance to
celebrate a time-honored holiday at an authentic 1864 military
outpost," said Paul Winckler, park manager. "The event is truly
a fun-filled weekend offering pure homemade Christmas fun for
all."
Throughout the day, visitors
can learn how to make numerous holiday decorations, including
stringing popcorn garland, and making snowflake and Christmas
ornaments in North Barracks Visitor Center. In the barracks
kitchen, you can make your own bread creation and have it baked
in the fort’s authentic wood burning stove. Visitors can also
stop by the barracks' mess hall to taste freshly churned butter.
Members of the Prairie Fiber Arts Guild will be on hand to
demonstrate how wool and other natural fibers are made into
clothing.
A number of artists will
provide musical entertainment to round out the holiday setting.
Performances will be held in the North Barracks Visitor Center
and include past favorites John and Thealoy Pallansch, as well
as several newcomers to the Frontier Christmas. Visitors will
also be able to enjoy the dulcimer music of Lois Beckner and
Civil War tunes from Marty DeWitt. The Webster Madrigal Singers
and Sisseton High School choir will add to the holiday cheer.
Make plans to join the fort's
horse drivers for a sleigh ride through the winter wonderland.
Or, stroll the fort grounds and meet the various men and ladies
of the fort. Both the blacksmith and the woodwright will be on
hand to demonstrate their professions, and stop by the Hospital,
Doctor’s Quarters and Commanding Officer’s Quarters for other
fun holiday activities. Father Christmas will even be on hand to
share Christmas wishes. At 4 p.m., join in as members of the
Frontier Army of the Dakotas light candles on the fort's holiday
tree.
There is no cost to
participate, although a park entrance license is required and
can be purchased at the park. Concessions will be available.
Fort Sisseton is located 12 miles southwest of Lake City. For
additional information, contact the park office at (605)
448-5474.
East River Deer Season
Continues
PIERRE, S.D. – Hunters who may
have found their East River deer hunt cut short by the recent
weather conditions can find solace in the extended antlerless
hunting opportunities that are still available.
The regular East River deer
season concluded on Sunday, Dec. 4. However, the season
continues from Dec. 5 - 11 for antlerless deer licenses. A
second deer season extension will then occur once again for
antlerless deer on Jan 1-8, 2006. Those hunters with “any deer”
tags will be allowed to take any antlerless deer during the
season extensions. Those with an “any whitetail deer” tag will
be allowed to take an antlerless whitetail.
Hunters wishing to obtain one
of the remaining deer licenses can submit an application, either
paper through the mail or online by computer, to the Game, Fish
and Parks License Office. They also have the option of
submitting an application online, choosing an option to print a
receipt of the license and then picking up their tags from a
designated license agent.
“The season extension is part
of the original season structure for the East River deer season
and is intended to facilitate the harvest of doe deer to help
manage herd numbers,” said GFP Communications Manager Chuck
Schlueter.
Licenses remain for the East
River deer season and may be purchased through the end of the
season extension. Information on leftover licenses and license
applications are available from the GFP website at
www.sdgfp.info.
Next Deer Hunting Opportunity
is for Muzzleloaders
PIERRE, S.D. – Even though some of
South Dakota’s firearm deer seasons continue with antlerless
season extensions, some hunters will be putting down their
rifles and picking up their muzzleloaders when the state’s
muzzleloader-only deer season re-opens on Saturday, Dec. 10. The
season will continue through Tuesday, Jan. 31.
Game, Fish and Parks Regional
Wildlife Manager Ron Schauer of Sioux Falls said South Dakota’s
muzzleloader deer licenses changed a bit for 2005.
“A limited pool of ‘any deer’
licenses were allotted for residents, and they quickly sold
out,” he said. “However, antlerless licenses are unlimited in
number, with both one-and two-tag options still available.”
Schauer noted that people can apply online at
www.sdgfp.info as well as access the paper application
there. Paper applications can also be picked up at Game, Fish
and Parks offices and most license agents.
A person may have just one
muzzleloader license, so residents who successfully drew an “any
deer” muzzleloader license, or previously picked up an
“antlerless” permit, are not eligible for another muzzleloader
antlerless deer license.Hunters must use muzzleloaders with open
or peep sites that shoot a .44 caliber or larger bullet.
Muzzleloading pistols are not legal. Muzzleloader hunters must
wear at least one exterior item of fluorescent-orange clothing.
Shooting hours are one-half hour
before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset.
2006 General Licenses
Available Dec. 15, Make Great Xmas Gift
PIERRE, S.D. – A great
Christmas gift option will become available on Thursday, Dec.
15. On that day, people will be able to purchase South Dakota’s
2006 general hunting and fishing licenses as a gift for that
special outdoor enthusiast.
"General licenses are those
hunting and fishing licenses not sold by lottery drawing,” said
License Office Supervisor Scott Simpson of Pierre. “General
licenses include the various resident and nonresident fishing
licenses, small game licenses, combination licenses,
predator/varmint licenses, resident furbearer license,
nonresident shooting preserve and spring light goose licenses,
as well as the state migratory bird certification."
Licenses can be purchased with
a credit card via the GFP website at
www.sdgfp.info. Once there, hold the cursor over the
subheading “Licenses and Reservations,” then click on the link
to "Buy General Hunting and Fishing Licenses." From there,
follow the directions and remember to print the license.
Licenses are available at
license agents across the state.
“The 2006 licenses cannot be
sold until Dec. 15. Licenses are now being distributed to
license agents around the state, so one should check for license
availability in advance before visiting an agent,” Simpson
noted. People can find the link to South Dakota’s license agent
listing on the GFP website by holding their cursor over the same
subheading “Licenses and Reservations."
Last year’s general licenses
(2005 version) will no longer be available as of Dec. 15.
Turn In Poachers Hotline
Congested
PIERRE, S.D. - Recent fall
hunting seasons have had the Game, Fish and Parks Turn In
Poachers (TIPs) hotline “ringing busy,” and department officials
are asking callers to limit their TIPs concerns to wildlife
violations only.
“We are thrilled that people
are concerned and involved with using this hotline,” said GFP
TIPs Coordinator Andy Alban. “However, too many calls are issues
unrelated to wildlife violations, and people with legitimate
concerns have been unable to get immediate assistance from an
operator.”
Alban asks that callers make
sure their reason for dialing is related to a wildlife law
violation. He noted that TIPs operators are not equipped to
handle information requests or to transfer calls.
